


you can be good

by Scrivoio



Series: east of eden [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Superman (Comics), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: All very minor, And it's perfect, Lets play a game, M/M, Marriage, Pillow Talk, am i bruce?, am i clark?, and fluff, and thats not accounting for snack breaks, anyway they love each other, because thats how i rolllll, being in love, called 'which of these characters am i projecting my emotions onto in an unhealthy way', god im so lonely, i have Damage and i'm going to write fanfic about it, i wrote these last three fics in less than four hours, it was a bad breakup ok :(, jesus these tags are gonna be longer than the fic itself, not my best work overall, oh I forgot, probs not and defo not like this lol, theres some angst, this series is a dumpster fire, was not joking when i said these were vent fics, what do i even want in life?, who am i kidding theres not even a PLOT, who knows - Freeform, will i ever find love???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27409663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scrivoio/pseuds/Scrivoio
Summary: Bruce sighs. “I can, and I do. I am not Batman. It took me too long to learn that. I could never encompass everything that Batman is, and I should never have tried. It was never meant to be a solo act, but I tried to make it one anyway.” Bruce closes his eyes, rests his head against the wall behind him. “I am not Batman, but I devoted my life to him. All those years, the crusade was the only thing I cared about. I burned my life down to dig Batman out of the ashes. Everything else was forgotten in the wreckage.”
Relationships: Batman/Superman, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne
Series: east of eden [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2000494
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	you can be good

**Author's Note:**

> "And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good."

“Is this how you thought things were going to turn out?” Clark’s voice is quiet, head pillowed on Bruce’s chest. 

“Never,” Bruce whispered, running his fingers through Clark’s hair. “I never imagined that I could have something so… good. I never would have dared to hope.”

Clark turns his head to look at Bruce, at his aging face, at the gray hair at his temples, at the gentle sunlight from the open window bathing him in warmth. The wedding ring on his hand glitters, and Clark smiles softly. “Not once?” 

“In my darkest moments, maybe,” Bruce replies. “When I feared that the only thing left for me was this crusade. Or, even worse, when I began to doubt that. When I started to realize that Dick was going to take my place, that I would either retire or die, and who would I be then? A lonely old bachelor with my family in shambles and my loved ones six feet under.” 

Clark frowns. “You can’t mean that.” 

Bruce sighs. “I can, and I do. I am not Batman. It took me too long to learn that. I could never encompass everything that Batman is, and I should never have tried. It was never meant to be a solo act, but I tried to make it one anyway.” Bruce closes his eyes, rests his head against the wall behind him. “I am not Batman, but I devoted my life to him. All those years, the crusade was the only thing I cared about. I burned my life down to dig Batman out of the ashes. Everything else was forgotten in the wreckage.” 

“No,” Clark says, sitting up, “That’s not what happened, Bruce.”

“It _is_ ,” Bruce insists, “If I had just…” 

“No,” Clark says, firmer this time. “If you had done anything differently, you would not be the man you are today, and I would not have fallen in love with you, and we would not be married. You are dedicated and driven and so deeply compassionate that sometimes I’m afraid you make _me_ look like an unfeeling bastard. Even if all your feelings happen in here—” Clark taps Bruce twice on the chest— “and not in here,” two taps on the forehead. 

Clark smiles. “Bruce. You feel things more deeply than any man I’ve ever known, and it’s one of the things I love most about you. Batman was one of those things. You _made_ him what he is, and even if you can’t encompass all of that all of the time, it’s still _you_. It came from _you_. Don’t forget that. And besides,” Clark grins, “Alfred was strict enough a parent for both of you.” 

Bruce chuckles, his eyes sparkling. “And I have you. I don’t have Batman anymore, but I have you.” 

“And you’ll always have me,” Clark says. “Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> comments are always appreciated :)


End file.
